Dangerous
by Dallas365
Summary: Poison is what drove me back to the French Court. Back to the boy I had met as a child. His name was Sebastian, but I had always called him Bash. That had been during the brief time that we had met. He had captured my heart. After all this time, I didn't think Bash would still have my heart. Odd things were happening in the castle and it all surrounded us.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first published fanfiction. I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter. I'm planning for it to be long so please stick with me. This is a Mash (Mary and Bash) pairing. Please review! Thanks! **

Chapter One

The rising sun was just above the low bricking Convent, making the building cast a large shadow over the field with its bright light. The vast green field was overrun by women of all ages and me, the 16 year, Queen of Scotland. I had been at the Convent since the age of 9, shipped off from the French Court to here. My time at the French Court had been short lived, as I had been sent to the Convent after only a few months there. Even at the young age of 8, I knew the true reasons for my being dismissed from the Court; Queen Catherine of France did not like me and probably never would. There was always something in the way that she looked at me, like I was to be squashed like a bug. Like I was competition. All because of Queen Catherine, I had grown up sheltered, not being able to see the world. I didn't hold a grudge; I wasn't that kind of person.

Add to that, I have been engaged in an arranged marriage to the future King of France, Francis, since the age of 6. During my brief stay at the French Court, which happened when I was 8, I had met Francis. He had been the only child my age that I could play with so naturally we had bonded. There had been another boy who had caught my eye but we hadn't been allowed to talk. Francis had always pulled me away from the dark haired boy with bright blue eyes. Of course, we had talked once in secret at the late of night. He had instantly captured my young heart and I wondered constantly if the next time I saw him, he would captivate my heart again. Sebastian was his name, but I had always called him Bash. Though I never truly learned who he was- who his parents were and the curiosity embed at me every day.

Sebastian had been a mystery and very adventurous, which had rubbed off on me. He had also been very kind and roguish. Then there was Francis, who had been nice, but at the same time rude. Never letting me speak to Bash had just been one of the things that Francis had done. While he had been nice and funny, I had never developed romantic feelings for the future King, not that I could've as an 8 year old anyways. The feelings I had for him were strictly friendly and nothing more. In fact, I doubted that there could ever be more between us, especially since it had been 8 years since we had last met, last talked. No doubt as a 16 year old Francis would be interested in every young lady that walked by with a pretty face. It wasn't that I thought badly of him, I was just being logical and didn't want my hopes up.

Shaking my head slightly to shift my thoughts to the game, I hiked my light weight, off white dress up as I ran, kicking the hard soccer ball with all my force, sending it soaring through the air. It flew into the goal with force and I dropped my dress, wishing for the second time today that I could were pants like men. All of the dresses were wonderful every once in a while, but every day having to wear yet another wretched dress with a tight corset was rather tiring and an extreme nuisance. Everyone expected me to look nice and like a queen even here at the Convent. This was the place where no one should care because there were no visitors. There was certainly no one to gossip to because what happened here stayed here. That was the unsaid code of the Convent and, personally, I thought it was silly to some degree.

"Good shot Mary!" Grace, one of the nuns shouted at me. "That ends the game, as it is time for breakfast." I sighed, my feet squishing down into the ground. I was looking forward to yet another breakfast eating porridge. I pulled my dress up and hiked up the hill, a little farther ahead than the other exhausted soccer players who were nuns. There were no other people here that were my age, just the much older and the much younger. They were good company, I supposed, though they couldn't really understand how I felt. They definitely didn't know how it felt to be a queen locked in an engaged marriage to a person they didn't love. I trudged forward and soon enough, I was at the wooden table.

The sturdy table outside the Convent was long, holding at least a dozen and a half people. Emile, a 7 year old girl with strawberry blonde curly hair, sat next to me. She looked hungrily at her half-filled bowl of porridge but waited patiently. On the opposite side, further down the row, I met the scared eyes of Grace, the same Grace that had just congratulated me. Her eyes were slowly widening in shock or pain; I would never know. Grace's mouth foamed with a white substance, drops of blood mixing in with it and spilling out through the part in her lips. The blood periodically dripped down into her porridge. Slowly, a blood stain began to show through the off white cloth that was around her head. I blinked once and in that short second, the nun had fallen face down into her bloody porridge.

Emile screamed shrilly and then everything was a blur, people bustling me around. "Get her away from that porridge!" Anna, another nun, shouted. I was being pulled away, led down a cobblestone path right next to the Convent. I shrugged off Anna's hand and stopped.

"I had no idea that…" I started and trailed off, hoping Anna would complete my thought.

"That she was your food taster? Mary, you're the Queen of Scotland. Everything you've ever eaten has been tasted," the nun told me. _Tell me something I don't know, _I thought. "Come on, let's get you into something more presentable. It is time for you to go back to the French Court." My throat tightened as those words left Anna's mouth. I wasn't ready to be married to Francis, a young man whom I didn't love. _You are the Queen of Scotland. You must do what is right for your country, _part of my mind scolded me. An alliance with France was just what Scotland needed. The English threats to Scotland needed to be taken care of and France had the armies to do so.

_Besides, you will get to see Bash, _I thought contently. With that thought, I happily allowed Anna to drag me towards my chambers.


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you liked the last chapter! Please review, it'll keep me writing if I know that someone likes the story.**

Chapter 2

Once I was ready, changed into my deep rose dress, a small golden crown topped on my raven hair, I found that everyone was waiting for me. All of the girls and ladies stood in a straight line on both sides, forming a path for me to walk. I walked slowly, my back stiffened and straight. I'm almost to my carriage when Anna pulls me aside. One look in her eyes and I blurt out, "I'm not sure that I am ready for this."

Anna smiled kindly, "For what? To marry the future King of France or to leave the Convent."

"Both," I replied as I gave her a quick hug and stepped back, looking at the Convent building one last time.

Emile rushed up to me, "Mary, be careful. They say there are ghosts there."

"At the castle?" I asked, putting my hands over her small pale ones.

Emile nodded quickly, "Tortured souls. There's a girl, her face in ruins. She hides it."

At this point, she was beginning to frighten me. "You know," I began, trying to sooth herself and me. "I was at the castle when I was your age. I never saw any ghosts there."

"But what if they saw you?" Emile whispered urgently. My eyes widened and I stepped back, unsettled as a freezing wind cut me to the bone.

"Goodbye," I said briskly before stepping into my carriage.

The whole ride took around five hours on the fastest route possible, the wheels sometimes sinking into the squishy mud. Every second that passed in the carriage and it ran over a bump, I got all the more grumpy. Grumpy about the fate that had been planned for me since before I was born. The future King of France was so single minded, everything he knew had been told to him by people with political motives. People like the King and Queen of France. They had their own opinions that would influence Francis in his decisions. Of course, those decisions would be what was wisest for France and only for France. Our alliance could easily shift if Scotland didn't fit in with the best interests of France. Without the marriage, Scotland would be weak and England could take advantage of its vulnerability and strike with a vengeance.

My worries for Scotland's future embed away as the French Castle came into view, replaced by new anxiety. I was about to face King Henry and Queen Catherine, the parents of the man I was engaged to. My relationship with Francis, their son, was unbeknownst to me. I didn't know if we were friends or complete strangers. Was he nice or snobby from being raised as a royal? Then I saw my ladies-in-waiting come into view. Seeing them warmed my heart immensely, temporarily calming my emotional turmoil. I had known them in my youth, but, of course, I hadn't seen them for at least 8 years, but from the looks of it they were the same girls that I had known. They stood close together, chattering in hushed tones as they watched the French Court people line up on different sides, forming a path for the royals.

The carriage slowed to a stop, the horses neighing restlessly. The carriage door swept open and I took a deep breath, stepping down onto the rocky road, gravel crunching beneath my feet. Silently, I wished that one day I would soon be able to run free and explore the world, free from all responsibility. Of course, with all of the death threats on my head right now, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere without a guard, much less out of the perimeter of the castle. Whoever attempted to poison me at the Convent made sure of that. Once again, I took a deep breath, plastering a fake smile on my face, trying to make it appear believable.

As soon as I stepped off the carriage, all 4 of my friends rushed forward, close to drowning me in a hug, stopping just inches away from me. I hid my disappointment as they bowed slightly. Once they straightened back up, we erupted into a fit of ridiculous giggles that were somewhat forced on my part. Simultaneously, we pulled each other into a group of hug. I pulled back first, inspecting each of my ladies-in-waiting. Kenna, with her long brunette hair pushed back from her beautiful face, smiled at me. Greer, with her shorter blonde hair, smiled gently. Lola's reddish hair was in tight curls that cascaded around her shoulders wore a band around her head, pushing back strands of hair. Finally, there was Aylee, my dearest friend. She was the youngest of them all, her blonde hair pulled back in a beautiful braid. They were all so beautiful.

"Kenna, Greer, Lola; my sweet Aylee. We're all together again," I said softly. They were girls that I had known in my childhood and had lost contact of when I had been shipped off to the Convent. During my first days at the Convent, I had hoped that they would come visit, but quickly realized that I was a fool. I couldn't allow them to risk their safety in the long journey.

Down the path made by the two lines of people, closest to the castle, the trumpeter blew into his horn, letting loose a couple of notes. Our group quieted down and we all turned in the direction of the French castle. Shortly after, King Henry of France stepped forward, his golden crown glistening on his bald head. To his left, a lady with long curly brown hair walked forward, grabbing King Henry's outstretched hand. They swiftly moved closer to one another, a soft smile playing on their lips. "Who is that?" I wondered, my curiosity lying solely on this mysterious woman.

"That's Diane de Poitiers, King Henry's mistress, the mother of their illegitimate son," Kenna readily replied, intrigue lacing her voice. "They say his bastard son is his favorite child." At that moment, a male, 18 years old, stepped forward, out of the shadow of his father.

My breath hitched as I realized who he was, his wild brown hair and shocking blue eyes arousing memories in me and butterflies in my stomach. At 18, he looked gorgeous, absolutely beautiful. Even now, he still had the same mischievous glint shining in his features. His eyes crinkled with a hidden smile as he focused all his attention on me. We locked gazes and I was sure he remembered me from childhood, our secret meeting just outside of the woods. I was also sure from that point on that he still had my heart. "Bash," I breathed out for only me to hear. Sebastian saw my lips form his name and he smiled slightly.

Kenna came closer to me once more and whispered "Is that Francis? He's gorgeous!"

Rather regretfully, I broke eye contact Bash and flicked my eyes to her, "No, I know it isn't." Bash was an illegitimate, someone I could never have a future with. It broke my heart a thousand times because, deep down, I knew that I already loved Bash and that I had loved him when we had first met. _Huh. Love at first sight, _I thought sadly. Maybe I would even start believing in soul mates.

When I turned my gaze back to Sebastian, he was no longer standing in the front. Bash was now to the side of his father, standing slightly behind him. He wore the kind of clothes that he had worn as a child. The clothes I saw the hunting and adventurous types wear; boots, brown pants, a white cloth shirt, and a leather jacket. To complete his look, a sword hung low on his belt. It wasn't necessarily clothing that a royal would wear and I liked it. Bash was everything different and he had freedom. I felt glad for him that he didn't have the ties a legitimate son would have. My gaze slowly traveled up and I found myself nearly staring at his lips that I so badly wanted to kiss. When I found myself drawn up to his clear blue eyes, I saw that he was watching me with amusement. Shyly, I allowed my lips to draw into a smile which he returned gracefully.

I turned away and spotted Francis. He was scurrying down a path behind the line of people, the path lined by small red lights. Francis ran his hand through his shoulder length dirty blonde, darting his eyes back and forth before final settling on me. His mouth slid open and I attempted to hide my smirk. He looked well. As a child, he had had long legs that hadn't suited him but now, it was perfect. Seeing him brought back childhood memories of the last time I had been here. That was all. Seeing Francis didn't bring butterflies to my stomach, thus proving what I already know- I didn't have romantic feelings for him. How I was supposed to marry someone I didn't love would be hard. If it turned out that I was truly in love with his half-brother Bash, then I was up for a huge battle.

Francis stood directly in front of me and stooped into a small bow. In return, I curtseyed. "Your Grace," he said. His greeting irritated me; I hated having people call me that. It meant that they were going to treat me differently.

"Please, call me Mary," I replied.

"Mary," Francis said in compliance. "And you can call me Francis."

I gave the slight nod of my head, slipping a fake smile on, "Francis."

"It's nice to see you again," the future King of France lied. Judging by the way he looked, I seriously doubted that he thought it was. A second ago, Francis had looked as if he was a cornered animal. The last thing he wanted to do was see me.

"Likewise," I said simply.

For a moment, he simply observed me, not moving a muscle. "Shall we?" Francis asked, finally breaking out of his daze. He held out his arm to me and I gracefully wrapped my own arm around it. The contact wasn't accompanied by any butterflies or sparks. As we walked down the path formed by the people, I smiled at everyone, but when I met Bash's eyes, my grin widened infinitely. My gaze lingered on him longer than anyone else and something passed between us, something that said, _we'll see each other later. _It was a promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank all of you guys who left comments! They made me really happy and I hope that you guys will continue to be pleased with my story. This chapter is a little longer and I think that this will be the usual size of each chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter! As usual, please leave comments. :)**

Chapter 3

Aylee stood in front of me and my ladies-in-waiting, begging our attention to her, "Let's go explore! We haven't been here for years. Surely the castle has changed!" All except me nodded in agreement. I had some of my own exploring to do.

"I'll catch up with you all later. I need to do something first," I told them. Kenna grinned and raised her eyebrows at me. She suspected something but certainly wasn't going to push it in front of the others. With her, they all slipped out of the door, chatting wildly.

The old grand stairs creaked under my weight as I climbed the steps two at a time. With all my might, I wished the stairs to be quiet, not wanting others to know where I was going. After all, it was my secret room, a place in which I could gather my thoughts without interruptions and that only one other knew of. The room lay in the top floor, hidden in a closet and obscured by the wall door. I had discovered it when I was at the French castle as a child. Just weeks before my departure, I had found the room, spending almost all my nights there. The hidden room had a large window that overlooked the lake and dark woods. The woods had scared me as a child, the spindly trees looking like they were stretching fingers ready to grab me. The thought made me violently shiver, realizing that the image would still probably give me nightmares.

After I had reached the third floor and gone into the closet that hid the secret room, I pushed open the wall door, entering into the larger room. Everything in here was exactly as it was when I had last been here. Judging by the amount of dust, the paper and pencils that I had left on the wooden table had remained untouched. No one had come in since my last departure. I rushed over to the window, unlatched the lock, and propped it open to let in the fresh air in attempts to rid the place of the musty smell. The large tree obscuring the window from view bristled in the cool breeze, the long branch that stretched across the sill tapping the side of the castle continuously. I leaned against the window perch, resting my hands on it as I stuck my head out to peer at the ground.

As soon as I looked down, I instantly saw Bash looking up at me as he had so many years ago, the memory instantly coming back to me.

_"Not planning on jumping are you?" the young boy asked me. _

_ "What? No of course not," I answered._

_ "Then what are you doing up there?" he asked, curiosity layering his tone. _

_ "Looking out at the world! It's beautiful from all the way up here." I looked up at the setting sun that was slowly disappearing behind the gnarly trees that would soon begin to frighten me. _

_ When no response came from the boy below, I peered down once more, searching for his head of dark hair. He was nowhere to be seen and I couldn't deny that I was disappointed. The rustling tree alerted my attention and I looked closer at it through the canopy of leaves that obstructed my view. I could see a dark patch of hair and arms. Before I knew it, the boy who had previously been below sat on the tree branch, smiling proudly at me. Startled, I jumped back a little ways. He had just appeared there, as if he had flown up, although I knew he had climbed up. The boy, who looked a year or two older than me fixed his piercing blue eyes on me and I stared straight in them. His grin became wider as I smiled at him, impressed that he could climb such a large tree. _

_ He asked, "Do you want to come out here?" I nodded and immediately took his outstretched hand. He grasped it tightly as I climbed onto the window sill and onto the tree branch, sitting close beside him. Already I liked him and was comfortable around him even though I did not know of his name. _

_ "Thank you," I said._

_ He glanced at me when he thought I wasn't looking and said, "You were right. It is a beautiful view from here." _

_ "I'm Mary. What's your name?" I prodded._

_ "Sebastian," the boy replied sullenly. _

_ I frowned, "Why do you say your name so sadly?" _

_Sebastian stared at me as though shocked as to why I would ask him that, "Because people don't like me. In fact, they detest me." _

_ "That's not very kind. But no matter; you shouldn't listen to them- whoever they are. I'm willing to bet that they don't even know you. If they did, then they wouldn't detest you. In fact, they would probably love you if they talked to you," I said, automatically defending Sebastian. _

_ "You don't even know me Mary," he commented, gazing at me in a whole new light. _

_ "So what? I might not know you well, but I can already tell that you're a great person," I readily said, turning my head to look at him so that he knew I was telling the truth. _

_ Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "And how is that exactly?" _

_ I looked him straight in the eye, "I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice." It was true that that was all it took for me to be able to tell. I had encountered a countless number of people with so many different personalities, and after all of that, I could sense their character through their voice and eyes. _

_ "Is that so?" he asked, disbelief coloring his tone._

_ "Yes it is. I'm an excellent judge of character so you should listen to me. And all those people who tell you mean things should go dig a hole and bury themselves in it because they don't know anything," I said before I could stop myself. I turned red in the cheeks from embarrassment, wishing I could take back the last part._

_ Sebastian chuckled, "Thank you Mary." _

_ "You're not annoyed with me for saying something like that?" I questioned him, the extra color disappearing from my features as quickly as it had come. "Usually I get scolded for saying such things." _

_ "Why would I be annoyed with you for saying that? It was in my defense," Sebastian gazed curiously at me. _

_ "I'm the Queen of Scotland. Or future Queen. I don't know. All I know is that I'm supposed to be proper and that I shouldn't say things like that about people even if it is true," I gazed at him earnestly._

_ "You can tell them to bury themselves," he replied playfully, using my words. "Besides, even a Queen can sometimes use a break Mary."_

_ I grinned at him, butterflies coming into my stomach suddenly as if they had just realized that I was sitting close to him and that our arms were touching. "Sebastian…" I said, mulling over the name that was too formal for my liking. "Bash. I think I like the name Bash better. Would you mind my calling you that?" _

_ He grinned back at me, his eyes brightening, making my heart beat quicker, "I think I like Bash better also."_

_ Hesitantly, I grabbed Bash's hand in mine. He was surprised at first but quickly got over it, tightening his grasp. "Thank you Bash," I said._

_ Bash asked, "For what?" _

_ "For not treating me differently just because I'm a Queen," I said, spitting the word queen out. _

_ "I wouldn't want to be treated differently either Mary," Bash replied earnestly, squeezing my hand comfortingly. _

I snapped out of the memory as I watched Bash now, climbing the tree that had grown much larger over the years. It took him a while, but he was no doubt acclimated to doing those types of things. Bash's head popped up and the rest of his body soon followed so that he was now sitting on the tree, his hand outstretched to receive mine like so many years ago. "Do you trust me?" Bash asked, mischief dancing in his bright blue eyes.

"Even now," I replied, taking his hand in mine as he tugged me onto the tree branch playfully. Smiling at Bash, I tried to ignore the roar of butterflies joining in my stomach, tried to ignore the tingles that raced over my body from our touching.

"Am I still allowed to call you Mary?" he asked as we sat ourselves within close quarters of one another.

"Of course. I still hate the title of 'Your Grace'. I shall have to give an earful to whoever came up with it," I replied, watching a smirk quirk up the side of his lips. "Am I still allowed to call you Bash?" It was a term of endearment, one that I wasn't sure he would still allow now that he was 18 and I was 16.

"Most certainly. I quite enjoy hearing you call me Bash rather than Sebastian," he confessed and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh good," I said, then, realizing how it had sounded, hastily continued, "I mean that I get to continue calling you Bash. Not that you enjoy hearing me call you that… Wait, you like the way I say your name?"

"How do these things always turn on me?" Bash cried to the sky as I laughed. Even after he had stopped and was now gazing at me, I continued to laugh, loving how it lit up his eyes.

"You're just cursed. Doomed with words," I joked.

"Yeah, I must live in solitude, forever struggling to form sentences to my advantage. I shall try to carry on a conversation of normalcy with you as I battle my inner struggles," Bash joked back.

"I think that sentence was pretty well formed don't you? The student is improving!" I said.

"Maybe it's because I have an incredible person helping me," Bash said honestly, his voice devoid of humour, completely serious.

"I only help the best of students," I answered back, my heart suddenly pounding and the butterflies flurrying around like a snow storm. "Bash, I've missed you."

His hand found mine and our fingers entangled, "I missed you, too."

"Gosh, I've felt so alone since I left. Now coming back here… Nothing feels right. I feel like an outsider," I confessed to him.

Bash sighed loudly, "Please don't say you feel like an outsider while talking to an outsider."

"Bash," I whined, leaning into him slightly, "I feel right here. I feel good talking to you. I feel like this is my home." I finished talking and froze, hoping that anything of what I had just said hadn't let on anything of my feelings for him.

Underneath my head- which I had rested against his shoulder- I felt him shudder, "I feel at home, too." Bash knew I was taking a huge risk telling him the truth and that meant that he was also.

"I'm sorry. I was foolish saying that. It could get you in trouble," I mumbled.

"Mary, no one can hear us up here," Bash said, lowering his head to meet my gaze. He squeezed my hand again and a sigh escaped my lips. A sigh of relief and comfort. It was something that I had a feeling that only he would be able to give me.

I shivered as a cutting wind blew through me and Bash felt my body quake. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. My eyes fluttered shut and I leaned into Bash, removing every worry from my body, temporarily not caring about the consequences that could ensue. His arm tightened around me and I grasped his other hand with mine. Discreetly, we had laid our feelings on the table, free for one another to see. I found myself wondering how strong my feelings were for him. Without a second thought, I was sure that I would do anything for him. The butterflies in my stomach were growing stronger just thinking about Bash along with being next to him. Tingles were spreading through my body. My mind wandered back to true love. To love at first sight. One glance at Bash's peaceful face and I was certain I loved him.

It was just my luck to fall in love with someone that I could never have. Someone whom I could never be with because I had a duty to my country to marry Francis. If Bash felt the way I felt, I knew he would understand. I was the Queen of Scotland and Bash was the illegitimate son of King Henry. We were playing with fire and someone was going to get burned. It was dangerous, but danger had called to me since I had met Bash as an 8 year old.


	4. Chapter 4

**A new chapter already? Yes, yes hold your applause. :P Just kidding. But if you can't tell I really love writing and while I am only 13, I am working on actual stories that I hope to get published. These just help me get my writing technique down. **

**But anyways, I posted a new story called Injury (also Bash and Mary) so check it out if you haven't! :)**

**And I am also in the works of yet another Reign fanfiction that shall be entitled Dreams. I will be posting the first chapter of that story soon. Hopefully. But stay tuned! You'll get to be amused by me trying to handle all of my writing and school work. :)**

**As usual, please review. Even the simplest comment of great story makes me head over heels happy. I've been through a lot so little comments like that do wonders. **

**Now to work on the second chapter of Injury... **

**I know this is a lot but I'm done with author stuff now... Enjoy! :D **

Chapter Four

Time flew by with Bash telling me stories of when he was young and of all the adventures he had been on since then. Soon the sun was setting behind the creepy trees and the cool breeze was becoming colder, yet Bash and I stayed where we were because we might not be able to talk this much later. Each time a cold wind blew, Bash would rub his hand up and down my arm to keep me warm. He kept me safe and I would do the same for him.

As the sun disappeared and darkness began to overcome light, I asked, "Bash, what's in the woods?" I remembered asking him that question from when I was younger, but that was a memory for another place.

"I can't tell you. Just promise not to go in there. It's dangerous," he replied. Dangerous. There was that word again. Everything was dangerous.

"Remember when I asked you that last time? You said there were monsters hidden there. You scared me and I couldn't sleep that night." I answered, remembering my nightmare of him and I running, being chased by some ominous shadow.

Bash snickered, "You hit my arm the next day."

"It served you right! You gave me nightmares of giant beasts roaming the woods!" I exclaimed defensively.

"You always did have a wild imagination," he commented, gazing at me.

"I still do," I said with a sigh. "I guess we should get back. Your sister's wedding ball will be happening soon."

"Francis's sister," Bash corrected. "And yes, I guess we should be getting back. Unfortunately."

I sighed, "You're as much a part of the family as anyone else Bash."

He gave the slight nod of his head and began to stand up, holding out his hand to help me stand. "I'll see you there right?" I asked him as I climbed back through the window.

"I wouldn't miss it," he said, his reply hiding his true reason for wanting to come.

"Good. I will see you shortly then," I said.

"Bye Mary," Bash said as he began to climb down.

"Bye Bash," I called down to him, a smile lighting up my face.

On the ground, Bash grinned up at me and gave a wave of his hand and walked away. _Time to face the music,_ I thought as I latched the window back in place, walking back the way I came. At the closet door, I peered out once, making sure no one was around me to watch me come out. I stepped out, my steps light as feathers so as to make sure the floor wouldn't creak.

"There you are!" Kenna exclaimed, half running towards me. "Where have you been?"

I grinned, "Exploring. Like I said, I had some things to do."

"Mhmm, is that all you were doing?" Kenna asked, raising her eyebrows.

"What are you saying?" I asked with mock insult, pressing my hand against my chest.

"All I'm saying is that I think you were talking to a certain male for quite a long time and it wasn't Francis. I know that because he was looking for you hours ago," Kenna replied.

"I trust you not to tell anyone if I was talking to someone. And why was Francis looking for me?" I said. Kenna was the friend that I trusted the most.

"My lips are sealed. Francis didn't say why, he only said that he wanted to see you. It didn't sound very urgent," Kenna reported with mock seriousness.

"Then I shall see him at the wedding later. He can tell me whatever he wants there. Shall we get ready?" I asked, smiling at Kenna.

"We shall," she replied. "Come on." Together, we skipped down the hall and down the stairs to my chambers.

We tried on at least a dozen dresses and I decided on a light weight black dress while Kenna wore a tannish dress that looked well on her. "I'll see you there Kenna," I told her, wanting to look around my new chambers one last time.

She nodded and slipped out of the room, no doubt going to search for the other girls. I thought that she had come back when the floor creaked, but when I turned no one was there. Unsettled, I stood up from the settee and followed the noise, leading to the changing wall. As soon as I put my hands on the wall, and was about to look behind it, the dark shape of a teenage sized hand appeared, making me jump back in shock. "Taste of dread and sorrow," a raspy girl's voice said. "But don't drink the wine."

Hesitantly, I raised my hand to press against her imprint, "Who are you?" With that question, the girl's print disappeared along with the rest of her. I raced behind the changing wall to see no one. I looked closer at the wall; it looked as if it had been pushed in too far. Uncertainly, I shoved the pushed in section of the wall and it swung inwards, revealing a hidden passageway that was lowly lit. I would have to explore it later, but for now I had a wedding ball to go to.

At the ball, I was on edge, not being able to think straight even as I conversed with the Court people. My thoughts continually circled around Bash and our childhood meeting and the mysterious girl with her warning. If I wasn't think about one, I was thinking about the other. I couldn't ignore the fluttering in my stomach or the accelerated pounding of my heart as I thought about Bash. I knew that he would be coming here and I had yet to find him as I searched among the people for his familiar head of dark hair. I searched for the mischievous grin that made me feel elated with happiness. To my disappointment, I couldn't find him and his watchful blue eyes. Instead, I found a head of dirty blonde hair, someone who looked like the person Lola had been talking about. The boy she loved; his name was Colin.

"Your Grace," Colin said, bowing low before standing up and holding a cup filled to the brim with wine.

_Do not drink of the wine, _I thought, the voice coming back to me. I took the wine and held it in my hand, "Thank you Colin." After he left, I sat down the cup of wine and let my gaze drift over to Lola who was looking at me with hurt in her eyes.

"Aylee," I said, looking over at her. "I want to dance."

"You can't dance alone!" she protested.

I smiled, "I won't be alone." With Aylee in tow, I walked towards Lola, Greer, and Kenna. "Lola, dance with me. Take off your shoes. Come on! All of you take of your shoes." I smiled as they giggled and slid off their flats. We linked our arms and fled to the floor where the newly man and wife had just finished dancing.

We had started off spinning in a wide circle holding hands as we spun. Somehow, I ended up in the center of dancing girls, my black dress spinning widely, flying low around my legs. Suddenly, I knew that Bash was there watching me. I slowed my spinning so I could find him, and when I did a smile danced on his lips and amusement crinkled his eyes. When our eyes met, everything faded into a dull roar and it was as if we were the only two there. Bash's eyes twinkled with love and I had a feeling that mine did the same. I had the overwhelming to go over to him and ask him to dance with me, but that could indicate something and if it did, gossip would spread like wildfire. I needed a plan that would only be seen as fun and games. Nothing more, nothing less. The plan formulated in my head instantly.

A mischievous grin appeared on my face as I hollered over the noise, "Girls, grab a partner!" They heard me and surged forward, a mob girls grabbing men that they had never seen before. After all, the dance was just for fun so there was no harm in dancing with someone they didn't know. In a pointed look, I spun to Bash, laughing as shock overcame his handsome features.

I caught him and pulled him back to the center with me, enjoying the tingles that came from being so close to him, enjoying the butterflies that flew in my stomach. Our moves were odd and quirky, a festive dance that had us grinning ear to ear. I found that our bodies were moving ever closer together even as our heads stayed where they were. It wasn't as if we could touch foreheads in public because that was sure to ignite a fire of gossip among the French Court. Besides, if we did something in public like that, Bash could get hurt and that was the last thing I wanted to happen.

"It's a dangerous move," Bash whispered as he held me close.

"Yes, but I am the Queen and as Queen I can do what I want. That's one of the only perks to having that particular title," I replied airily.

"Mary, if you could, would you choose to be a simple girl with a simple life?" he asked, watching me closely.

"Yes, but only if I still had a life with certain people. Being born as a simple girl would mean that I hadn't met you. Or my friends," I added hastily.

Bash understood and nodded his head, "It would be the same for me."

"But Bash, you have so much freedom- even if you are bastard born. I certainly don't care. It's only a ridiculous title," I said.

"I love the freedom, but it's not about that. It is the title. A title that prohibits me from being with someone," he whispered now all serious.

My heart quickened and I yearned to kiss him. "Titles make these kind of things hard and I wished that I wasn't a Queen, but I cannot change my fate. I can only find loopholes in it. I am going to find a way Bash," I replied, hoping he understood my meaning. In response, his eyes lit up with hope and joy.

We stepped away from each other when the dancing ended, pillow feathers raining down from the ceiling. I looked up and watched them slowly fall down with a wide smile. It was quite the way to end a wedding. When I looked back at Bash- who still stood close to me- he smiled and swiftly took my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. He kissed it softly and lingered, the warmth from the contact forming a fuzzy feeling in my stomach that made the butterflies explode. My skin felt hot as it tingled and I felt as if I had been set on fire, all of me burning. Bash pulled away like he knew he had to and beamed at me like a child.

"Thank you for dancing with me Bash," I said, trying to catch my rogue breath. "I hope we do that again."

"Anytime," he replied. "I will see you later Mary." Bash turned away from me, but I knew that he didn't want to. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

While everyone was clearing out, Kenna found me first, "What was that? Why didn't you dance with Francis?"

I smiled evasively, "I couldn't find him."

"Is that right?" Kenna asked. "Because I saw you skim right over him."

"Even if that did happen- and I'm not saying that it did- it most likely wasn't on purpose," I replied. I really hadn't noticed Francis or thought about him since I had begun dancing.

Kenna smirked, "Just take care Mary. As your friend, I am telling you to take care. It's dangerous."

I looked her dead on, "Everything is dangerous here Kenna. I'm doing everything I can to be careful. It's just kind of hard."

She nodded, "I know. If you ever need help with anything, just find me. I would be glad to help."

"You're a great friend Kenna. Truly," I told her.

"Goodnight Mary," Kenna said.

"Goodnight Kenna," I replied.

Everything was dangerous. I was sure of that. I just never knew how dangerous that it could be. If luck was on my side, I would never have to know just how bad it could get. But luck was rarely on the side of a Queen who loved a man she could never be with.


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh me gosh. Oh me gosh. I'm so sorry for this being late! Please don't hate me! It's just that the school week started and a lot of bad stuff is going on in my life right now. I'm sorry! I promise I'll make it up to you all starting Friday.**

**But, as it was pointed out to me about Kenna's character, I did look over the last chapter and she did sound as if she were scolding Mary. My apologies. That's not how she is. She was simply warning Mary and that happened before her relationship with the King started. In later chapters, she will be very instrumental in Mary and Bash's relationship. **

**For now, enjoy this chapter! There's another flashback to young Mash. After this, I'm planning 1 more young Mash flashback. **

**As before, comment please! I love to read them. :) **

Chapter Five

Maybe it was just after 3 am when I was awoken by the rustling of my bed and the sound of the bed creaking as someone came onto it. Then I heard the sound of a belt snapping off. My eyes flew open and I realized with shock that Colin hovered over me. I screamed as he leaned closer to me, causing him to jump back, as if shocked that I would wake. "Guards! Guards!" I screamed.

"Your Grace! Your Grace I'm sorry! You must let me explain!" Colin shouted as he was dragged away by the guards that had surged into my room. I hopped out of my bed, no longer able to sleep.

When a bustle of guards come in with my ladies in waiting, I stopped mid-pace. "What happened? Did something happen to the 4 of you also?" I wondered, fear etched in my voice.

"No, we were awoken by the guards. They won't tell us anything. What happened?" Kenna asked.

I flicked my eyes to Lola and the concerned look on her face, worried about how she would take the news. "There was a rape attempt upon me," I said, not wanting Lola to know who the attempted rapist was.

"By who?" small Aylee asked, her voice hoarse.

"Colin," I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" Lola shouted. "Colin wouldn't do such a thing!"

"I cannot deny what I saw. What I saw was him attempting to rape me," I replied coldly. She was accusing me of lying about this sort of thing. I could hear it when she spoke.

"But why would he do that? The idea is preposterous!" Lola said, defending the man she loved so dearly.

"I'm sorry Lola," I replied softly, moving closer to her.

She backed away, nearly shouting, "Don't come near me! I don't want to be around you!"

I stood completely still. How could she be angry with me when I had done nothing? I found Colin hovering over me while he took off his belt. The logical thing had been to call for the guards. In fact, that was the only thing that I could think of to do.

Speechless, I shuffled back, ignoring the tears that threatened to spill out. _You're supposed to be a Queen. Act as such, _I scolded myself. I straightened my back, but could not say anything. Kenna left Lola's side and came to me, putting her hand on my shoulder. "She didn't mean any of it," Kenna told me softly.

I shrugged her hand off, "It doesn't matter now. It can't be taken back."

"I'm sorry," she apologized for Lola.

"Her actions aren't your fault Kenna, but thank you," I told her, a soft smile forming on my lips.

"Would you like me to stay with you?" she asked.

"No, thank you though," I said. Kenna nodded and swiftly walked away, shutting the door behind her.

I slumped down in my chair, wishing Bash was here to comfort me. Suddenly, I stood up, extremely restless. The sun had risen, so I quickly changed, taking my dog Sterling with me for a walk.

Outside, we walked near the lake and I rested on a log just outside of the woods. I smiled at the trees, which would look odd to a person that walked by, but for me, I was remembering. Remembering Bash and my meeting for the first time. Later, we had walked in the night.

_"You know it's not safe to walk at night right?" Bash asked me._

_ "Then why are we out here?" I questioned him. "And I feel pretty safe. You're here with me." _

_ "And that's alright with you?"_

_ "What's alright with me?" _

_ "Well," Bash began, looking rather uncomfortable, "being alone with a boy. In the middle of the night."_

_ "I never thought about it like that. Should I be worried about it? I mean, you're my friend aren't you? Friends are allowed to be together late at night are they not?" I fired the questions out. _

_ Bash shrugged, "I suppose. It's just not normal for a boy and girl to be alone together this late at night. Especially a Queen and a bastard." I stopped walking and smacked his arm. "What was that for?" he exclaimed._

_ "I did mention to you that 'bastard' was a rude word. You shouldn't call yourself that. You need to love yourself more. The term 'bastard' is for horrible men, none of which match your personality. Just so you know," I told him as I looked into his blue eyes. I placed his hand in mine, gripping it firmly and not letting go. "Come on. Let's explore the world!"_

_ He grinned, "Where should we go first?" _

_ "Anywhere! Anywhere except here! I would love to be able to get out of the castle's sight," I shouted at him with a grin, pulling him with me towards the woods. Normally, the trees scared me at night, but with Bash here I was feeling brave._

_ "You're like no other Mary," he replied with wonder. "We could run away together! I've always thought of going out to explore, but if you went too, I wouldn't have to go alone." _

_ "Oh Bash, I wish I could go. You have no idea how much I want to go, but I have to stay. I will be Queen of Scotland one day, and this is my duty," my eyes got misty._

_ "But if you could, you would. Wouldn't you?" he wondered. _

_ "Most definitely. With you. I would only go with you," my eyes turned from the ground to find his. I found that he leaned his head down closer to mine. "Bash? What are you doing?" I questioned suspiciously._

_ Without a word, he kissed my cheek softly and I felt my face heat up. I liked the kiss. It made me feel giddy with happiness as my heart pumped blood at a quickened pace. In fact, my heart pounded so loudly that I feared that Bash would be able to hear it. Bash backed away, his cheeks red with embarrassment. _

_ "I'm sorry," he muttered, not sounding sorry at all. _

_ Swiftly, I moved towards him. With a questioning gaze that I ignored, I pressed my lips to his cheek. I lingered before pulling back quickly, not looking him in the eye. "Don't be," I whispered. _

_ Bash cleared his throat, but stepped closer to me, his eyes lighting up with delight. He held his hand out to me, "Shall we?"_

_ "Shall we what?" I asked as I took his hand immediately. _

_ "Explore the world of course!" Bash tugged me forward and we shifted away from the woods, going nearer to the lake._

_ The closer we got to the lake, the more I wondered what we were really going to do. "Bash," I complained, "I'm dying of curiosity. Why are we going to the lake?" _

_ He gave an exasperated sigh, "If you really must know, we are going to sit on a log that's near the lake. You really need patience Mary."_

_ My face scrunched up in confusion, "A log?" I chose to ignore the other comment._

_ "Yes. There's a rather nice view that you can see at night. You just have to sit in the right position." _

_ "If you say so." We walked a moment in silence and I took the time to observe Bash, who was a little ahead of me as he pulled me forward gently. I noticed how his breathing quickened when he was excited about something. How the moonlight reflected off of his tanned skin. How he was the most beautiful person I had seen. How he was full of life. How he had captured my young heart. _

"_Here we are!" he said, presenting a small log that was just big enough for two. _

_The log was centered so that when you sat, you could see both the woods and the lake, like dual images that had been merged together on a single canvas. The sight was breathtaking, especially at night when the moonlight only reflected off of certain things. The water, for instance, darkened and was lighter in the center, the moon's reflection a perfect circle. The overgrown bare oak trees were illuminated against a patch of dark sky, their silhouettes blacker than black. Normally, the scene would have frightened me immensely, but Bash was with me and somehow that made everything better. I felt as if I could face the world with him by my side. _

_ "Bash, this is amazing! Thank you for showing me!" I yelped with joy, nearly jumping up and down with delight._

_ "Now you just have to sit down and be swept away into the masterpiece entitled nature," Bash joked, grinning at me with satisfaction. _

_ "I think I already have been," I told him, sitting on the log, waiting for him to sit next to me. When Bash finally did, I wrapped my arms around his stomach in a full on hug- which he returned after getting over his initial shock. _

_ "I wish we could stay here forever," I told him honestly, my voice muffled by his brown leather jacket. He hugged me tightly, as if fearing the moment that he would have to let go. _

_ "I wish we could too."_

The memory faded away, replaced by Sterling's wild barking. "Sterling! No Sterling!" I called to him. "Come here boy!" Unwillingly, Sterling came to me, his tail between his back legs in guilt.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Someone stood behind me. "Don't go into the woods. Never go into the woods. Your greatest friend lies there. Your greatest foe lies there. Whoever it is will decide on you."

It was the voice of the same girl that had warned me of the wine. "Who are you?" I asked once more, knowing full well that the mysterious girl wouldn't answer.

She ignored my question, continuing her riddle, "Choosing between love and duty will seal your fate. For better or worse." Her words rang in my head, even as she disappeared. I knew who laid on either side. Love and duty represented two very different people. Love represented Bash, someone who it seemed impossible to have a relationship with. Duty represented Francis, whom I was supposed to marry for an alliance with France that would save my country. Marrying Francis seemed the easiest choice. After all, there would be much less heartbreak down that road. True love- a forbidden love with Bash- that would be the road that was hardest. But I already knew my choice had been made. I had chosen love long, long ago.


End file.
